Noordam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

It Could Have Been Better

Sail Date: December 01, 2007

Reviewed:8 years ago

Traveled As: Couple

Room Type: Balcony

We have traveled on Holand America four times. The last two times on the Noordam. It appears as if the quality of the cruises are on a downtrend. They must be cutting corners to pay for the new ship they're constructing. We have written a letter to the President of Holland America and the Chairman of Carnival. The response we received was that they hear our concerns, the have notified senior management about our concerns and they hope we will continue to cruise on Holland America.

Pros: The ship is very nice

Cons: The Food and Entertainment

Recommends Noordam? No.

Category Ratings

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Food and Dining

Breakfast; The salmon is great. The croissants, pastries, buns and butter are very good. The sausage links are so salty, they are inedible. The apple pancakes stick to the top of your mouth. The eggs benedict are hard-boiled. Lunch and dinner: Generally the soups are good. The fish is usually overdone. The meats most of the time are tough. The vegetables are either overdone and soggy or are not cooked enough. The starters are described exquisitely but are hardly worth eating. The salads are good, but the salad dressings are too sour. The cheapest salad dressing in a supermarket tastes better. The cheese platter is terribly mundane. The blue cheese comes in quarter-size compressed pellets and taste horrible. The pre-frozen crepes are horrible. And most of the cakes are pre-frozen as well, and taste like it. Much more to say, but no space to say it in.

Entertainment

Jason Miller was excellent. The Piano Bar entertainer was so bad, no one could be found in that room. On our previous trrip on the Noordam, the piano bar entertainer was so good, the place was packed every night. You couldn't find a seat. Standing room only. New Year's Eve was a disappointment. We were sitting in the Crow's Nest. A full house. No music until 1/2 hour before midnight (we had to complain to even get that) Then they only played until shortly after midnight.

Ship Quality

It is a very nice ship. Nothing to complain about here. Passenger problems do exist. Unfortunately HAL can not choose their clientele. We make sure to arrange to use the Spa on the cruise, for which you pay extra. My wife was in the female locker room and opened the shower stall only to find that someone used it as a toilet. She was horrified, and the woman standing next to her became hysterical. After that she refused to use the locker room for the rest of the trip.

Cabin / Stateroom

State rooms are fine.

Service and Staff

Cabin Steward was very nice and efficient. The dinner staff was adequate. One waiter who served us lunch one day was so good, we told the maitre 'd he should be working in the Pinnacle, where we ate on two occasions. The Pinacle is a treat, but it costs $60 per couple.sts

Review Stats

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